Daily Briefing: Over 80 million chickens
Bird flu is running rampant among U.S. dairy cows, turning up in 94 herds across 12 states since March. The Pacific Northwest expects lower than normal temperatures while large portions of the country scorch. New data reflect the extent of travel for abortion care across the nation.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. June's full moon will look unusually big and colorful.
Bird flu concerns run rampant
Bird flu continues to expand in the U.S., with growing impacts to food production and animals. Over 80 million chickens, thousands of wild birds and dozens of mammal species, including a polar bear, have been infected.
The scale of the outbreak means hikes in egg prices, renewed warnings to cook ground beef and eggs thoroughly, and the extraordinary (business-threatening) measures dairy and poultry farmers are being asked to take to prevent its spread.
Can humans get bird flu? Yes, but the risk in the U.S. is still very low, federal officials say. They say the public should be “alert but not alarmed.”
So why are officials worried? The great concern is that the virus will evolve and become more contagious among humans. For now, it’s hard for humans to contract the virus and it hasn't been passed from person to person.
Is climate change playing a role? A key difference between this outbreak and previous ones is an increase in global average temperatures and more extreme weather events in making this and future pandemics worse.
A crazy weather week is coming to the US
The coming week will bring weather extremes of almost every stripe to the U.S.: From a baking heat wave in the Midwest and Northeast to an unseasonable chilly start in the Pacific Northwest. And in the Rockies? Possibly snow − yes snow − in June. Scorching temperatures into the 90s are expected through the beginning of the week over the East and into the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Here's where to flee the heat.
More news to know now
Israel paused military activity along main road in southern Gaza to facilitate aid.
President Joe Biden joined former President Barack Obama and A-list celebrities at a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser that hauled in at least $28 million.
"Predator catchers" live-stream their brand of vigilante justice.
Poll: Black voters aren't thrilled with Biden but dislike Trump more.
Feeling smart? Play today’s USA TODAY Crossword. Our expert, Sally, breaks it down.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
More than 171K patients traveled out-of-state for abortions last year
More than 171,000 patients traveled out-of-state to receive abortion care last year, according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute, which underscores the widespread impact of state abortion bans that followed the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Data showed that most patients in states with strict policies traveled to the nearest or neighboring state that allowed abortions. But patients in southern states, which have the most restrictive laws compared to the rest of the country, had to travel across multiple state lines to receive care. Read more
The hidden history of Native American boarding school records
A newly launched digital archive of materials chronicling the era of Native American boarding schools, referred to as Indian boarding schools in the archive, could ultimately alleviate challenges for boarding school survivors, their descendants and researchers. Tracking down documents that could provide details of students' experiences proved challenging and time-consuming: The records were all over the place – in archives, at universities, at churches or historical societies nationwide. Staff of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, known as NABS, have spent four years compiling and digitizing records from around the country. Read more
Keep scrolling
Are Tuesdays still the best day to book flights?
Caitlin Clark's best WNBA game capped a big weekend for women's sports in Indianapolis.
Women are taking over the world of motorcycle-riding.
College senior Gretchen Walsh set a world record at the Olympic trials.
Luka Doncic showed maturity in responding to criticism from the NBA Finals Game 4.
An emotional moment for Daniel Radcliffe
After five Broadway shows over 16 years, Daniel Radcliffe finally earned his first Tony nomination and win for “Merrily We Roll Along,” a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s infamous flop musical. The "Harry Potter" star took the stage at Lincoln Center Sunday night with other winners, including Angelina Jolie for her first Tony as a producer of “The Outsiders" and "Succession" star Jeremy Strong for his win for best leading actor in a play for “An Enemy of the People.” Here's the full list of winners.
Photo of the day: Bryson DeChambeau survives at Pinehurst
For the second time in five years, Bryson DeChambeau is the winner of the U.S. Open. DeChambeau battled back and forth throughout the afternoon with Rory McIlroy to win his second career major title, this one played at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Read our recap of the tournament's final day.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bird flu, weather, heat, election, abortion, Tony Awards, U.S. Open, WNBA: Daily Briefing
